Predicted Huddersfield Town XI to take on Leicester

Huddersfield Town head into their opening home game of the season as distant outsiders, with the bookies fancying recently-relegated Leicester to brush aside the Terriers. While Neil Warnock grumbles about how the bookmakers always write him and his teams off, that’s just the way he likes it really and he’ll no doubt be using the odds for this game as an opportunity to take the pressure off his players and to encourage them to go out and enjoy themselves against one of the Championship’s most fancied teams.

Leicester won their opening game of the season against Coventry last weekend, overcoming an early scare when they went 1-0 down to a set piece goal, before a second-half Dewsbury-Hall brace secured the three points for them. They’re managed by Pep Guardiola disciple Enzo Maresca, and have a squad full of Premier League-quality talent. If we’re going to get anything from this game, it’s likely we’ll have to win ugly, which is something that we managed to do several times last season and a tactic that Neil Warnock isn’t afraid to resort to. 

Here’s the team I think we’ll go with for today’s game.

Goalkeeper – Lee Nicholls 

Chris Maxwell had a run out in the league cup on Tuesday but that was just to give him a bit of competitive practice and Nicholls will come straight back in. While I enjoyed Maxwell’s fancy pirouette that he did every time he kicked the ball out of his hands to check for sneaky opposition players behind him, I wasn’t all that impressed otherwise. He had a blip in the second half where he looked like a bit of a liability, rushing off his line like a mad man when he didn’t need to and creating a sense of unease with his defenders. It made me realise how important Lee Nicholls is to the team, as he spreads calm in everything he does. Having said that, Nicholls will probably want to make amends somewhat for his role in the opening goal at Plymouth, where the swirling wind and indecision between him and Helik combined to mean he left a high ball he probably should have claimed.

Defence: Edwards, Pearson, Helik, Ruffels, Jackson

Neil Warnock said that he planned on using Jaheim Headly in this game had he not been sent off on Tuesday night, so I think that means he’s likely to play a five at the back system, with Ruffels slotting in as left-sided centre back. If Warnock sticks with that plan, the obvious choice would be to just go with Ben Jackson instead of Jaheim Headley. I like Jackson as a wingback, as his workrate is one of his biggest strengths and this role allows him to motor up and down the wing all he wants. He’s also capable of crossing the ball nicely with his left or cutting in and shooting with his right when (if?) we get into the final third.

It’ll be interesting to see how Tom Edwards does as a wingback, if we play that system. He has said that he can play this role but having seen him play, I’m not convinced he’ll be mobile enough to get up and down the flank. In fairness, it may be that we’re pinned in our own half so much by Leicester that it doesn’t matter so much. One advantage of having him in the team is that he can play accurate forward balls from deep for the attackers to chase, this will be handy to relieve pressure if we do find Leicester are having most of the ball. Against Boro in midweek we spent too long without the ball, if Edwards can pump the ball forward for the likes of Sorba Thomas and Josh Koroma to chase on the break then they should hopefully be able to give the defence some relief by running the ball down field and giving us the odd attack.

The big question in central defence is whether Matty Pearson is fit enough to play, after he was withdrawn during the Plymouth game due to a dead leg. My experience of dead legs is mostly as a result of playground scuffles and overly physical horseplay with my mates when I was a kid, but clearly Pearson’s is nastier than the short-live numb kind of pain I remember getting that wore off after a few minutes. I suspect Warnock will patch up Pearson and throw him on, as the alternatives are Rarmani Edmonds-Green or Loick Ayina, who are a downgrade from Pearson, whichever way you look at it. 

Midfield: Hogg, Rudoni, Diarra

Jonathan Hogg seemed to come through 45 minutes in the cup on Tuesday unscathed, so I think he’ll be able to go again in this game too. He’ll most likely not be fit enough to play the full game but, like with Matty Pearson, I think Warnock will wring every last drop he can get out of his senior players. I can’t blame him either, as Hogg instantly improved the team when he came on the pitch against Plymouth despite being injured most of preseason. His experience and organisational skill on the pitch are still needed. He leaves huge shoes to fill and it’s becoming more and more urgent that we find a suitable, long-term successor.

I don’t think there’s any doubt about Jack Rudoni’s place in the team. In a game like this, where we’ll most likely not see a great deal of the ball, his job will most likely be to protect the defence when we defend and then try to break forward and link play with the attackers on the rare occasions we make a foray into Leicester’s half. Up against the likes of Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi and Winks, means he’ll have to be at his very best hold his own in the midfield battle.

We’ll also need Brahima Diarra to do his fair share of work off the ball in this game too if he plays in his usual advanced midfielder role. It’s likely he’ll get pushed back into a more conventional midfield role at times to support the other midfielders and then break forward when we are in possession. I think he needs to show that he can adapt and contribute in games where we’re up against it to prove he should start most games, otherwise he risks becoming a luxury player that only gets picked when we expect to have plenty of possession. Thankfully, his workrate off the ball is generally very good and he has a tendency to win the ball back off the ball. 

Attack: Ward, Koroma

I think Sorba Thomas is at a bit of a crossroads at the moment, he could buy into what Neil Warnock is doing and thrive this season – a bit like Josh Koroma did last season under the old master – or he could get in a huff about things and take his bat home. Warnock was critical about Thomas in both his pre and post-match comments for the Plymouth game but I think he’s most likely able to do that because he’s built up a rapport with the winger too and their relationship can take it. But Sorba is a temperamental character and he could either take these words from the manager as motivation or switch off, both things have happened in the past in similar circumstances, so it’s hard to know which way he’ll go. I know many Town fans feel like Thomas is a prima donna and not worth the trouble, but I’m not one of them. I think he’s one of our best players and needs careful management to get the best out of him, like a classic car, he takes a lot of maintenance but when he’s fully tuned up and at his best, he’s a joy to behold. Having said all that, I don’t think this is the game for him, as Edwards is more defensively solid at wingback and Koroma has better close control when dribbling as the supporting striker. Thomas can dribble at speed when he’s got space to run into but he’s pretty shocking at taking on a man and beating them with skill.

I thought both Kian Harratt and Kyle Hudlin did themselves plenty of favours on Tuesday night with their respective performances. Both got their names on the scoresheet and Harratt in particular looked very impressive. Regardless, Ward should start as he’s a lot better than either of them. While the shiny new thing is always more exciting than the toy you’ve had in the toybox for years, Danny Ward is experienced at this level and does things that neither Harratt or Hudlin are capable of doing for the team, so deserves to start this game. But if we need to change the game, I’d be quite curious to see one or both of these young strikers introduced as I think they are both capable of getting goals at this level if we play to their strengths.

Josh Koroma should complete the attacking lineup. Like with Ward, he’ll be aware that there is a youngster breathing down his neck, for him it’s Pat Jones. For now it seems that Jones isn’t fit enough to start a game, so his place in the team is safe. However, if Jones gets up to full fitness he looks incredibly exciting and has a great combination of raw pace, dribbling ability and end product. So Koroma will be aware that he needs to perform to his best to avoid being replaced by the whippersnapper that is waiting on the sidelines.